Samsung has so far only opened One UI beta programs for its Galaxy phones and tablets. This changed last week when it announced a One UI Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch4. That program is now live, and it brings with it an upcoming build of One UI 4.5 for eager Galaxy smartwatch users to try out.
What's new in the One UI 4.5 beta update
The One UI 4.5 update for the Galaxy Watch4 is shaping up to be a significant update, with plenty of new changes and features (via r/GalaxyWatch4). This includes new duo edge/box complications, an upgraded watch screen, new watch faces, a unified composer with draft support when replying to notifications, support for additional fields while displaying notifications, and more. Check out some of the new watch faces that are a part of the update below (via SamMobile).
One UI 4.5 for the Galaxy Watch will be based on Wear OS 3.5, a minor bump from version 3.2 that the smartwatch is currently running. The firmware also brings dual SIM support, so you'll get an option to select your preferred SIM when making a call from the wearable. The Galaxy Watch currently uses the first added line for placing calls.
How to get the One UI 4.5 beta
The One UI 4.5 beta is only live in the US and South Korea for now, with the VE7 firmware coming in as a hefty 796MB download. The program is also solely available to Samsung smartphone users and for the Bluetooth-only versions of the Watch4 and Watch4 Classic.
If you fulfill the requirements above, you can try to get your hands on the firmware by following these steps:
- In the Samsung Members app, tap the One UI Watch beta program banner.
- Wait for the Korean company to accept your application.
- Once you're accepted, make sure you install the beta build of the Galaxy Wearable app to ensure there are no compatibility issues.
Unfortunately, there is no way to cut the line, and you'll have to be lucky enough to be approved for the beta program by Samsung, but this is your best chance at getting an early glimpse of the new One UI Watch release.
Going by Samsung's past track record, the Watch4's One UI beta program should expand to China, India, and other countries in the coming weeks. Do note that once you install the beta on your Galaxy smartwatch, you can't downgrade to the last stable release if you decide to leave the program midway. In a worst case scenario, you will be stuck with the buggy firmware that your watch is running until Samsung rolls out a new stable update.